Dental disease affects the majority of cats over three years of age and causes chronic pain that significantly compromises quality of life, yet remains one of the most underdiagnosed welfare conditions in companion animals.
Feline dental disease represents one of the most prevalent and most undertreated welfare conditions in companion animals. The stoicism of cats means that owners rarely observe tooth pain behaviour until disease is advanced; affected cats may eat more slowly, show preference for wet food, or groom less on the affected side, but rarely cry out or obviously refuse food. This concealment results in cats living for months or years with chronic oral pain before diagnosis and treatment. The response of cats to successful dental treatment is often dramatic: significantly improved activity, increased grooming, and return of previous personality traits that owners had assumed were permanent changes. Regular veterinary dental screening and professional cleaning are the foundation of prevention, supplemented where possible by home dental care from early in the cat's life.